Greece steps up plans to become regional power player

May 18, 2006 02:00 AM

The Greek government's new energy policy will see the country become a key hub for the region's supply of
electricity, gas and oil.
The ambition will see electricity transmission lines between Greece and Macedonia completed by the end of the year
and a new power link to turkey will be built in 2007. There are also plans to construct transmission ties with
Bulgaria and Italy in the near future.

After a cabinet meeting to discuss the new energy policy, the country's development minister, Dimitris Sioufas, said:
"The central concern of our new energy policy is to strengthen the country's international role in the sector."
Greece plans to have attracted EUR 4.5 bn ($ 6 bn) of investments in its power sector from foreign companies by 2010.

As well as building new capacity and improving electricity links with neighbouring countries, the new policy will
focus on the deregulation of domestic electricity and natural gas markets, expansion of the natural gas network, the
use of coal, improving energy efficiency practices and large scale development of renewable energy.
Plans are also to be included that will see research into and the extraction of hydrocarbons.